The Sports Diva has reached a milestone and wasn’t really aware of it.
Even though 30 Plus Teams , 30 Plus Dreams is about what to do in a city after you’ve been to that baseball , hockey , football , or basketball game, there hadn’t been any 30 Plus Teams Tour of anywhere to go to , thanks to you know what .
Instead, it has been lots of public transportation rides somewhere in New York City .
One thing hasn’t changed though.
Many of you are still interested in my little old story, and a lot of you have joined along the way.
Many of you have been with me through my travel quotes, my visits to some sporting event, and you still want to know what’s in my suitcase .
400 plus people want to know this and for that, I am very grateful and extremely blessed that you find my posts entertaining .
Even though there is no airline travel or travel to sporting events, (no fans but there are sports, people ), I’m going to keep on giving you the best posts that I can.
I hope that you’ll continue going on this blogging journey with me .
Among the advice I tell people who are thinking of traveling, whether they are going on a 30 Plus Teams Tour or not, is always do your research before you travel so there won’t be any surprises when you get to your destination.
I have another piece of travel advice for you.
Don’t only have a backup plan if your travel plans don’t work out, but have a backup CITY in case you can’t go to the city you want to go to.
Now you may be saying to yourselves, just what is the Sports Diva talking about?
Okay, let me try to explain it the best way I can.
I’ll give you an example, and this doesn’t just work for cities in the United States and Canada, this little travel tidbit works everywhere.
Let’s say you or your friend had your heart set on going to London.
Both of you asked for and got your vacation time approved from work, you looked at flights, etc.
But then all of a sudden, plans changed and one of you couldn’t go, but you had your heart set on going to London.
What do you or your friend do in this case?
You can still go although it’s by yourself, or you just don’t go, you stay at home wishing you could have gone SOMEWHERE, ANYWHERE.
Sorry, not sorry, wrong answer.
Remember, staying at home is NOT an option.
This is where having a backup city comes into play.
Yes, you could go to London by yourself, but why not do the next best thing?
Go to another city, one that is close by, and maybe not as expensive.
It could even be a city that you’ve been to fifty million times and NEVER get tired of visiting.
Hello Barcelona, Toronto, Berlin, Boston or Las Vegas!
Whenever or wherever you decide to travel to, remember this one thing.
Travel plans don’t always work out the way we want.
Life happens.
Don’t only have a backup plan for when you travel, have a backup city as well.
I hadn’t been to Montreal, Quebec, Canada in years.
I did have a layover in Montreal in 2019 when I was on my way to Ottawa, but that doesn’t count.
This time, I did take the Adirondacks Trailway bus from New York Port Authority to Gare D’Autocars in Montreal.
I didn’t get to see all that I wanted to see but I did get to see and do a lot from the moment I arrived early Tuesday morning until Friday morning when I went back to New York .
Right now enjoy some of the sights of the Sports Diva’s 30 Plus Teams Tour of Montreal.
Ice Wine Tea from a souvenir shop in one of the many malls in townCanadian moneyParc Jean Drapeau, outside of the city of Montreal. It’s also a Metro stop and named for the former mayor of Montreal who brought Expo 67 to the city and Metro trainsNotre Dame Basilica at Place D’ArmesWindsor Train Terminal. The Metro station is Bonaventure The “circle” at Place Ville Marie mall near St. Catherine StreetDon’t even think of feeding the squirrels here in Montreal Place D’Armes with the statue of the founder of Montreal, Sieur Du Maisonueve , in front. Part of Notre Dame in the backLots of shopping and eating at Complex Desjardins, and even a fountain in the middle of the mallMary Queen of the World Cathedral Nope this isn’t a sink. It’s a hand sanitizer dispenser inside of Complex DesjardinsPart of the menu from Chez Cora in the Best Western Plus Hotel EuropaThe biosphere at Parc Jean Drapeau. It was the United States pavilion during Expo 67Part of the campus of UQAM or University of Quebec at Montreal A salad and one of the famous “Chien Chauds” of Montreal. This hot dog from a restaurant called Mister Steer Burger was so good
No matter where your 30 Plus Teams tour takes you, one thing is a must.
Do all sorts of research especially if you’re just looking to see if your team is going to be playing in that city.
This was a conversation between one of my Circle of Sisters and I at the beginning of hockey season around Thanksgiving time.
“I just checked the Rangers schedule,” she said
“I’m tired of going to the same cities. I’ve never been to Montreal and they play the Canadiens on March 9th. “
That sounded like a plan to the Sports Diva.
I had been to Montreal many times, but I’d never been to their new arena, Bell Centre or in French, Le Centre Bell, before.
You do know the Sports Diva’s motto right?
No, not staying home is NOT an option, the other favorite motto.
Have a sports team, will travel.
Also, going to a game there was on my bucket list, so why not make that eight and a half or nine hour bus ride from New York City up to Montreal.
Bell Centre is located in Downtown, or in French, Centre-Ville, Montreal.
The actual location of the arena is 1909 Avenue des Canadiens.
You know you’re special when there’s a street named after you, just saying.
As I mentioned in my post on the Best Western Plus-Hotel Europa, the arena is conveniently located around the corner from the hotel we stayed at.
There are other hotels around the arena as well as Windsor Gare, the train station, and the green line Bonaventure station of the Metro.
There’s also many restaurants in and around the area, but we followed the crowd and ate at McDonald’s, but not just any McDonald’s.
This McDonald’s is right across the street from the arena and inside, this being Canada, everything hockey including a big picture of former Montreal Canadiens goaltender, Ken Dryden.
As you walk around the plaza , there’s plaques, statues and retired numbers of former players.
It just shows you how much this team is loved in this city and how much hockey dominates the country.
As for watching the game and the experience in the arena, yes Virginia, this is French Canada.
Pretty much ALL announcements are in French, including commercials on the big scoreboard, penalties, goals and even the starting line up of BOTH teams.
“What is he saying?”, asked my friend
“He’s saying the next game is against New Jersey Devils.”
“No before that”
“Oh he’s giving who scored the goal for Montreal.”
As for the game, the Sports Diva, her friend and many of the fans who either are from New York or are New York fans who came for the game, went home happy, and had sore throats from yelling and screaming at the double overtime game.
The atmosphere in the arena was electric and at times I didn’t know if I was at a concert, a club or a hockey game, maybe all three.
In between periods, there was a deejay playing tunes and of course, people were dancing in their seats and in the aisles.
I call this the “Vegas Golden Knights” effect because the T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas was one of the first arenas to do this, now it seems like every hockey arena is doing this.
Even though we sat way up in section 315, we were able to see everything, no obstructed views or anything, unlike watching a game and spending part of your rent money in Madison Square Garden in New York City.
I enjoyed myself at the game and not just because my team won.
Centre Bell is a beautiful arena and it was nice to cross another thing off my bucket list.
This exhibition of all things Barbie might be in other cities, but in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the exhibition of this icon is located in where else, a shopping mall, Les Cours Mont-Royal, located on one of the city’s premier shopping centers, Rue St. Catherine.
You might not have had a Barbie doll but you know someone who had all things Barbie, including the doll house and all of her outfits.
She is a timeless, well known icon and this exhibition, which is free, shows that.
There were so many Barbies that I couldn’t put them all in this post, so please enjoy the pictures of Barbie and Les Cours Mont-Royal.
The text from one of my Circle of Sisters went something like this;
“I’m changing the hotel we’re staying at. I don’t like it and the one I picked is cheaper.”
The text continued by asking me to call her, which I did.
“We’re staying at the Best Western Plus Hotel Europa. It has a sofa bed and it’s cheaper. It’s near Bell Center. “
“Near” Centre Bell was an understatement.
Try more like around the corner and across the street.
Now the snob in me heard Best Western and thought of the Best Westerns in the United States.
Once I got off the green line station at Rue Peel and walked down to Rue Drummond, and saw the hotel, sorry not sorry, this is NOT your father’s or mother’s Best Western.
The official name of the hotel, which is located at 1240 Rue Drummond right off the major street of Rue St. Catherine, is Best Western Plus- Hotel Europa.
If you’re coming in by the bus terminal, get on at Rue Berri, take the Metro going towards Angrignon and get off at Rue Peel.
It’s not a long ride.
Once you walk through the lobby, which has a staircase leading to one of the two restaurants, and into your room, you notice the big bed, the sofa bed, which is is very comfortable.
There’s also a Keurig Coffee maker, which makes coffee and tea.
There’s plenty of drawer space as well as a refrigerator, which kept our drinks really cold for the few days we were there.
I mentioned that there were two restaurants inside of the hotel.
The second hotel was called Chez Cora, which was only open for breakfast and lunch.
I went there when I arrived and I went there on Thursday with one of my Circle of Sisters, and a friend from Montreal.
I had a negative idea of Best Western when I heard we were going to be staying here but Best Westerns in the United States are oh so different from the ones in the True North.
The hot water in the shower is usually a deal breaker for me.
It was nice and hot but not this time.
One very important fact clinched it for me.
Being the Sports Diva, I don’t need to tell you what it is, but I am, anyway.
It was the location, a block away from the Centre Bell, the home of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey league, and yes we were here in Montreal to see them play the New York Rangers on Thursday night
The Sports Diva is not only doing a 30 Plus Teams Tour in another country, but I’m also crossing another thing off my bucket list.
I’m riding the train with the third largest ridership in the world, the Montreal Metro.
In case you’re wondering, Mexico City has the second largest ridership, and what city has the first largest ridership?
No surprise there, it’s the Big Apple, New York City.
To get to my hotel, Best Western, I had to take the Metro from the green line station Berri UQAM, that’s University of Quebec at Montreal.
With my backpack and little suitcase in hand, I walked from the bus terminal, Gare D’autocars, to the Berri UQAM station, a few feet away.
I didn’t go directly to the hotel, I took the Metro to the Jean Drapeau Station, which is on the yellow line.
Montreal’s Metro has three color coded lines, Yellow, Green, and Orange and each Metro station is marked by a blue sign.
The yellow line is the shorted route with three stops, Berri UQAM, Jean Drapeau, and University of Sherbrooke – Longueil.
Ironically, if you take the Adirondack Trailways bus from Port Authority and the bus gets to the terminal after 5:30am, you can take the Metro from U. of Sherbrooke to Berri.
Unlike the trains in New York, not only is the metro very clean it only runs from 5:30am until 1:30am.
You can buy a ticket that cost $3.50 for ow, $6.50 for round trip, but for the day pass called OPUS, it cost $17, that’s $11 for the day pass and $6 to buy the actual pass if you don’t have one.
For the short time that I did my 30 Plus Teams Tour of Montreal, I took all three lines of the Metro.
If you’ve never been to Montreal before or if you have and never took the Metro, be ready, ALL announcements are in French.
You’re going to see the word SORTIE a lot, this means exit.
Prochane Station means next station or next stop.
There are maps clearly marked with the stations and the stops clearly marked.
You might get turned around with the directions but each station is like a work of art.
Even though I didn’t get to see as many stations as I wanted to, I was still able to see a lot and cross another thing off my bucket list.
Usually the Sports Diva is all excited about her 30 Plus Teams Tour of somewhere, and this trip, a very long awaited one to Montreal, Quebec, Canada was no different.
I took the same Adirondack Trailways bus from New York Port Authority that I took to Ottawa, the one with the stopover here at Gare D’Autocars on Rue Berri in Montreal.
It was an 8 hour ride which started out great as I showed my ticket and my United States passport card.
Once the bus left, it was DOWNHILL from there.
Not for nothing, but my people, you’re on a bus for goodness sakes, not on a Delta, Air Canada, or a Singapore Airlines flight.
Why must you recline your seat all the way back like you’re flying the friendly skies?
If that wasn’t enough, I didn’t know that I had to do an impersonation of gymnast Simone Biles and have my backpack on my lap, my under the seat bag on the floor and my feet in a very uncomfortable position that I couldn’t wait to get off the bus- at Canadian Customs not the terminal.
Speaking of under the seat, what is the purpose of bringing an under the seat bag, if you can’t put it there or the over head compartments are that are so small that only your coat and scarf can fit.
Get on your game Adirondack Trailways, what kind of shenanigans is going on here?
You did tell us you had wifi on the bus, right or didn’t I get that memo that you didn’t have wifi.
That’s some need to know stuff especially if you want to get out a couple of blog posts.
Now if you think the Sports Diva is just expecting a little too much, I was happy that instead of the bus getting to Montreal at 6:40pm, it didn’t take the scenic route through Albany, Plattsburgh, or Saratoga Springs, or maybe it did and I slept through those cities.
After a stop in Ridgewood, NJ, the next stop was the Canadian Customs, which as usual went smoothly.
Now if only going through United States Customs would go as smoothly when I go back to New York on Friday, but I’m not holding my breath on that.
We arrived at the terminal at 4:15am, and I waited for the Montreal Metro to open at 5:30am.
As for Adirondack Trailways, God willing, coming back on Friday, 10 March, can we get it together this time people?
I hadn’t been to Montreal, Quebec, Canada in years.
No, the layover on the way to Ottawa in 2019 doesn’t count.
When one of my Circle of Sisters said after checking the hockey schedules in November, no less, that it was time to go to a hockey game in a place that she had never been to before, how about Montreal?
You know the Sports Diva, you have a sports team in your city, a 30 Plus Teams Tour is gonna be happening.
I had been to Montreal many times and even some bucket list things in the city are on that list .
There’s leftover snow on the ground but after the bone chilling temperatures in Boston and Lowell, Massachusetts my last 30 Plus Teams Tour, the 30s F temperatures are okay by me.
I’m so ready for this 30 Plus Team Tour of Montreal, which is on my list of favorite cities.
There will be a hockey game going on because you KNOW the Sports Diva and her Circle of Sisters are ALL about that sports life.
I’m taking the Adirondack Trailways bus from New York Port Authority all the way to Gare D’Autocars in Montreal.
There will be another post about my trip up to Montreal coming up.
As I said, I’m more than ready for the 30 Plus Teams Tour of Montreal, and I’m taking, you, my blog readers along for the ride.
It’s the begining of month number three, and the Sports Diva is going to a place that she hasn’t been to in years.
There’s going to be a lot of cold weather and maybe even some no a lot of the white stuff, snow.
So don’t be surprised if you see a lot of cold weather things in my suitcase.
As usual, it’s time for that post that everyone seems to like, what’s in my suitcase.
No surprise here, one of my Circle of Sisters is coming with me, so you just know that a sporting event is going to be happening where we’re going.
As usual, guesses are appreciated.
The only clue you’re going to get is that it’s a long bus ride to where I’m going.
I’m only staying from Tuesday until Friday, God willing, so my backpack and London Fog underneath the seat bag works just fine. Big red coat which is comfy and warmFour pairs of gloves. Don’t judge, it’s gonna be coldThree bags because I just don’t have enoughTwo pairs of boots because there’s no way the Sports Diva is wearing sneakers in the snowSweaters, hoodies, and warm pants. Sorry not trying to look cute in the freezing coldPajamasLots of hockey stuff for the game I’m going toMy stuffed animals Serena and Gleyber are ready for the long bus ride.My robe cause it’s gonna be cold
Have you guessed where yet? You’re going to have to wait but enjoy all the stuff that’s in my suitcase and backpack
In two days, the shortest month of the year, February, will fade into month number three, March.
We all ready are three months into 2023, and this year doesn’t seem like it’s going to slow down, or maybe it seems that way to the Sports Diva.
Even though some places are in winter with lots of snow, this doesn’t mean that you can’t do a 30 Plus Teams Tour of somewhere.
As a matter of fact, the Sports Diva is getting ready to make a 30 Plus Teams Tour to a place that I haven’t been to in years and gets snow almost every day.
You’ll have to wait to find out where that is, btw.
But what about you?
Have you done a 30 Plus Teams Tour of anywhere yet?
You have two more days of February to do it and 10 more months to do your own 30 Plus Teams Tour of somewhere warm or cold.
As usual, do that research, make that trip and let these quotes inspire you.
30 Plus Teams 30 Plus Dreams 
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